Huawei Technologies is reinforcing its position in the foldable smartphone segment with the global launch of the Mate X7, as the market awaits Apple’s much-anticipated foldable iPhone and digests the recent announcement of Samsung Electronics’ first trifold.
Priced at 2,099 euros (US$2,445), the Huawei Mate X7, which was released in China last month, features a thickness of 4.5mm (0.2 inches) when unfolded. The device, including the battery, weighs up to 236 grams.
It was rolled out globally at an event in Dubai on Thursday. Featuring a 5,600mAh battery with a heat-dissipation system, the Mate X7 promised “all-day battery life”, according to a company statement.
The device was also the firm’s first slim foldable smartphone to have “the same level of imaging capabilities as a standard flagship phone”, the company said. Huawei upgraded the “True-to-Colour” camera on the back to deliver a 43 per cent improvement in colour accuracy.
Despite being under US sanctions since 2019, the Shenzhen-based tech giant has intensified marketing efforts overseas. In February, the company launched what was then the world’s only trifold smartphone, the Huawei Mate XT, on the global market.
The Dubai event also marked the overseas launch of other Huawei products, including the FreeClip 2 earphones with a new rose gold finish for the international market, as well as the Huawei Ultimate Design waterproof smartwatch.
Huawei held nearly 70 per cent of China’s foldable market in the first three quarters of this year, according to market research firm IDC.
The market share worldwide for foldables running Huawei’s proprietary HarmonyOS was set to grow to 17 per cent in 2026 from 11 per cent in 2025, according to IDC.
This does not take into account Huawei’s overseas sales because those models are built on an Android-based system.
Although foldable shipments worldwide were expected to jump 30 per cent next year, the competition would intensify after Apple joins the fray, according to IDC, which predicted iOS foldables to boost their share to 34 per cent by 2029, while HarmonyOS would drop to 14 per cent.
Huawei’s latest launch came just one day before Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold, priced at 3,594,000 won (US$2,444), was scheduled to be released in South Korea.
That would be followed by its roll-out in other markets including mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the US.
“But the real game-changer for the category comes [in 2026] when Apple enters the foldable space,” said Nabila Popal, senior director with IDC’s data and analytics team, who expected the new foldable iPhone to be priced around US$2,400. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
